Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-19

Brewster, ia his letters On Natural
Magic" relates an experience OF New
ton which shows that any one has the
power to produce Authorizations at his
a pleasure. This philosopher, after having
cGgarded for some time the image OF the
sun in looking glass, was much sur
prised, On directing his eyes toward the
dark part of the room, to see spccter
CT the sun reproduced bit by bit, until
it shonc with all the vividness and all
the color of the real OBJECT. The hal
lucination afterward reoccurred when
ever he was in the dark. The same
phenomenon takes place when person
looks fixedly at window in O strong
light and then ct wall; spectral win
dow, with its panes and bars, soon pre-
Sents itself
Talma, the great French actor, said
that when he entered upon the stage he
was able, by the power Of his will, to
Danish from his sight the dress Of his
numerous and brilliant audience and 10
substitute IN the place Of these living per
sons so many skeletons. When his iIl-
agihation had thus filed the theatre With
these singular spectators the emoi iors
which he experienced gave such an inn
pulse to his acting as TO produce the most
startling effects.
have known men to ina CINE that they
had gold brains, silver Evers and crystal
stomachs and the latter would swallow 10
hard food for fear Of breaking the said
brittle organ. There is All authentic case
ON record of man Nho thought himself a
teapot, and always went about at home
and On the street with enc arm held out
ut right angles and the other akiInbo,
walked sideways, and made kissing noise
like teapot boiling. Nothing could con-
vince hi1n to the contrary. For many
years it was the only symptom of insanity
. showed, but eventually he died in an
asylum for the insane.
Speaking OF Authorizations, l have in
mind just now lady, one of the best
actresses in this country, who has such a
horror of dirt that it has become almost a
mania with her. In washing her hands
she uses at least five bowls of water, uses
a towel but once, and that, when it leaves
the laundress, must be locked up lest any
human hand should touch it. Her tooth
brush is always under lock and key.
Every morning it takes her over an hour
to battle, using at least three tubs Of water.
She dimes in no restaurant where she has
not the privilege of examining the kitchen
and questioning the cook. Her one hobby
/ know very charming gentleman,
prominent business man, who not for
Vanderbilt's wealth would cross any
river or leave New York. l have Used
every 0Rdeavor to get him to cross the
ferry from New York to Brooklyn, and
only succeeded once-by drugging him.
He cannot tell why, but as soon as the
boat is on the point of starting he has a
feeling as if he were about to die, a cold
perSpiration breaks out all over him, his
knees shake, and a stranger looking at
him would think be was about to collapse. |
This has been going On for about eight
years In everything else he is perfectly
sane; az home he is charming il every
respect. lie has consulted the most emf
nent physicians of New York, but to 10
avail.
Recently / read of most interesting
journey made by Lieut.. Buckingham and |
others of the United States navy. Whilo |
in Siberia they were walking on the |
banks of the Ussilri river, when he Oh |
served q messmate, who was n captain CT |
the general staff Of the Russian army. ap- |
proach. The captain of the boat suddenly, |
and without any apparent reason, clapped |
his hands before his face Instantly the |
steward clapped his hands in the sarno
manner, pat on an angry look, and PCS ed
on. The incident was somewhat curious, |
as it involved degree Of intimacy with |
the steward hardly, in such country, to
be expected. After this they Observed q
number of queor performances Of the |
steward, and finally comprehended the sit |
uation. 1t seemed that he WAS afflicted |
with peculiar Rent1 or nervous disease |
which forced him to initiate everything |
an w ont IN rh1,l
when the captain slapped the paddlebox |
suddenly in tie presence of the steward, |
the latter instantly gave it a similar |
thump, or if any Doiso was made suddenly |
he seemed compelled against his will TO |
initiate it instantly and with remarkable |
accuracy. To annoy him some OF the pas |
sengers initiated pigs grunting or called |
out absurd names; others elapped their |
hands and shouted, jumped or throw their |
hats on the deck suddenly, and the poor
steward, suddenly startled, would initiate
them all precisely, and sometimes several
consecutively. Frequently he would beg
people not to startle him, and again grow
furiously angry, but even in the midst OF
his passion would helplessly repeat some
ridiculous shout or motion directed Mt him
by his pitiless tormentors. Frequently he
would shut himself up in his pantry, which
was without windows, and lock the door;
but even there he could be heard answer
ing the shouts, grunts or sounds on the
buIkhead outside He was a man of mid
die age, fine physique, rather intelligent
In facial expression, and gave not the
slightest visible indication of his disability.
could go on writing about such cases
until ! exhausted my readers patience,
but shall close by relating few of the
habits of the sect called the Jumpers, or
Jumping Frsnchmen, that have a commu-
nifty near Moosehead lake, Ne. l am in
debted to the late DR.. Beard for the par
ticulars. He found that whatever order
was given them they at once obeyed.
Thus, one Of the Jumpers who was sitting
Oh q chair with a knife in his hand was
told to throw it. BE threw it quickly so
that it stuck in house opposite. At the
same time he repeated the order to throw
1t with a cry of alarm not unlike that of
hysteria or epilepsy. He also threw away
his pipe, which he was filling with tobacco,
when he was clapped on the shoulder.
TIVE Jumpers sittiRg near each other were
told to strike, and they struck each other
very forcibly. When a Jumper is told TO
strike, he strikes; when told TO throw. he
throws whatever he may happen 10 have
In his hand DR.. Beard tried their powers
Of repetition with the first part Of the first
line OF Virgil's "Eneio' and the first Part
Of the first line of Homer's ''Iliad' and
put of the way words in the English Ian
yuage, with which the Jumpers could not
have been familiar. He lated or echoed
The sound of the wor-.s IS they came TO